5 Favorite Reads

So after spending virtually all of last year not picking up a single book I was craving to jump back into reading. I didn't realize how much I had missed it and how lifegiving it was to take time every night to read. I have averaged a book a week most of the year so far (with a few lags here and there) and my to-read list grows almost daily... so many good books out there and not enough time!

I love reading book recommendation lists so I figured I should post mine. I'll preface this by pointing out that I'm obviously into best-seller books... I mean, they are best-sellers for a reason right? So if you're looking for some cool indie books, this ain't that! That said, these were all books I read in just a couple days because I just couldn't put them down. Lots of late nights and trying to squeeze in pages while cooking dinner happened reading these.

Here we go!




1. Unbroken
I just heard in passing that this was a good read and decided to give it a shot. So much more than just a good read... it was captivating and SO unbelievable (in the best way). It's a true story of a WWII veteran and his whole story from childhood and beyond is incredible and inspiring. Plus its always good to read about history. (They butchered the movie by the way, just read the book!)

2. Gone Girl
This is a really fun one. Her writing style is phenomenal and sucks you in immediately. It's a dark, twisty, insane quick read. I can't even say much without having spoilers sooo just read it! The movie is great too, but like usual the book is better.

3. The Husband's Secret
This is written in multiple first person narrative and it takes some time to get familiar with all the characters but it all comes together perfectly and about a quarter of the way through I was so invested I couldn't bear to stop reading. The story unfolds at the perfect pace and the payoff is far and away better than I was imagining. Also, the title and cover makes it seem like a weird romance novel but it totally isn't. I think I finished this 500 page book in 3 days... that might be a record for me.

4. The Girl On The Train
Another multiple first person narrative and this is the definition of a page turner. I know this has been on the top sellers list pretty much since it came out and it initially didn't sound that interesting to me but once I started I couldn't stop (there's a theme here..) and if I had to pick an absolute favorite from the year this one might take the cake. It moved me to tears, it was suspenseful and it was riveting through and through.

5. Yes Please 
A book written by Amy Poehler, thats all it takes to convince me it's a great read. But seriously, this was super funny and really interesting to read about her childhood, her early comedy years, her years at SNL and all that. I even cried. She's perfect.

Honorable mention: Scary Close by Donald Miller
I feel weird that I didn't include this just in the main list because I read this one twice already this year and feel like I'll read it over and over forever but when I was making the list I was only thinking about novels/memoirs and this is more of an inspirational book. But I need to still include it!
Anyway, this is the first donald miller book I've read so I can't say I've been a fan forever but this book alone makes me his biggest fan. He speaks so open and honestly about dropping your "act" and being yourself no matter what the cost. In a world where we're so caught up in impressing people and virtually presenting an entirely different version of ourselves, this book was like a breath of fresh air. He talks candidly about the risk involved in impressing less people in order to connect deeply with a few people and the freedom that comes along with that. I wish I could force everyone in this generation to read it.

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Any must-read books you've read recently I should add to my reading line-up for the rest of the year?